Apparatus for burning liquid fuels



sgmm A W. ALSEP APPARATUS FOR BURNING LIQUID FUELS 5 Sheets-Shg'et 1 fizzflvzfar fi -MW m, M

Filed May 12, 1924 Au .1. 3i

g 3 W. ALKP APPARATUS FOR BURNING LIQUID FUELS Filed May 12, 1924 5 Sheats$heet 2 4 5 m if %zz/raf9 Aug. 31 192%.

F. W. ALSIP APPARATUS FOR BURNING LIQUID FUELS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 12, 1924 5 Sheet t 1 Filed May 12, 4

Aug. 31 1926. 1,597,662

F. W. ALslP APPARATUS FOR BURNING LIQUID FUELS Fi lec l May 12, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Q N \k .lllllll' w of eficienc Patented Aug. 31, rare.

UNITED APPARATUS EUlt BURWQ LIQUW llUEEfi.

Application filed may 2159,

inventionrelates more particularly to oil-burning equipment for boilers and fur naces, although it may be useful for other purposes, and it may be said to have for its 5 main object: to insure quietness of operation by reducing to a minimum noise produced by moving parts or mechanisms, and also flame noise; to produce automatic regulation of a nature to insure a maximum degree in the translation of latent energy in t e fuel into heat that is actually utilized; to reduce the power required for the operation of the apparatus to a point tar below the amount required by any other aplltl paratus of which I am aware; to secure-rug gedness and capacity to withstand severe treatment in handling the same and in operation of the same; and, generally, to secure sensitiveness of o eration without delicacy of structural detail such as could cause the apparatus easily to get out of order.

ln carrying out my invention I cause a spray of liquid fuel, in a current of air, to be discharged'into the combustion space, interposing in its path means, adapted to the conditions and the nature of the fuel, which mechanically breaks up the fuel. The spray of fuel is produced by a rotating disk or wheel brushing the surface of a body of oil in a well, the rotating member serving also as the rotor of a blower to create the current of air. All small orifices or channels which could become clogged and interfere with the operation of the burner are thereby avoided and uniform, eficient operation is insured. lhe well is supplied with fuel from a small elevated reservoir into which oil is pumped by a slow-running pump, preferably of the diaphrla 'm type, insuring a steady flow into the wel, permitting the use or" a standard fan motor and a standard oscillating reduction gear between the same and the pump for driving the latter, and avoiding noise and wear and high'power consumption. The combustion mixture is ignited and the flame and produem of som bastion are carried through a llama conduit and combustion chamber in a turbulent state and are then brought into contact with the lowest portion or the radiating? or heating surfaces or the turnace or beier, whereby the greatest possible amount otheat will be efi'ectively used. It inrther follows that the power. Furthermore, there are race. use No. name.

confining of the flame for a considerable dis-.

tance between walls that become heated to incandescence, and the introduction of turbulence in the flame, 'create very complete combustion, with a minimum excess of air.- When a gas pilot light is em loyed it is placed at such a-pointbelow t e mcomin stream of combustible material .that it 'wil not be in den er of being extin ished, but, on the other liand, receives su cient air to keep it lighted from the gentle current that is produced below the main stream. Consequently a very much smaller pilot light than has heretofore been necessary may be emplo ed and the cost of operation corresponding y reduced The rate of delivery of air and fuel is controlled by a sin le lever that may be actuated manually or b thermostat or pressurestat so as to regulate the delivery of air and fuel according to the demand for heat; varying the size of the flame between maximum and minimum limits and thus controlling the rate at which heat is generated, without alternately operating at full capacity and shutting down completely, as has heretofore been customary in commercial systems. Consequently there need be reduced no excess of heat and there need be no waste of fuel or motive eat economics edected through reduction in the stack temperatures because, in any given boiler or furnace, the smaller the flame, the greater will be the pro rtion between the heat absorbed in the p ant and that wasted through the stack. in those systems in which there is always either a flame of maximum size or no -fiame,there is alwa s a maximum loss through the stock when t e burner is on as well as the loss through natural draft when the burner is turned ofi. This is an important factor, since the flame must becapable of supplying the reatest demand, whereas a much'smaller game will usually be suficient the greater part oi the time. in addition to regulating capacity, 1 means stepping the fan motor w on the capacity has been reduced. to the lowest pram rovide' re y a suitable bit tilt

tical minimum; such means being so arran ed that it may-be made inoperative at wil During the time the motor controller is inoperative, as, for example, in extremely cold weather, the pilot light be turned v is" off and a s'avin in operation be thus effected. I provi e an overflow cut-out device which will stop .the motor in case of Hot light failure or when from other causeflooding might result. This cut-out device is so arranged that, whenever the bucket that catches the overflow is removed to be emptied, the motor is shut off and cannot automatically start again until the empty bucket is restored to its working position. My improved apparatus is designed to be applied -to the firing doors of boilers or furnaces without requiring any alteration or dismantlin of the latter. Furthermore, all

the parts t at lie outside of the door are in elevated positions such that they will not be afiecte by water standing at a considerable height above the floor or surface on which the boiler or furnace is resting. I also provide a simple support for the burner whereby it may be applied tov a door placed at any height above the floor. 'vide means for cooling the burner proper to protect them against radiated heat.

I .also proparts of the The various features of novelty whereby m invention is characterized will hereinafter he pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a ful understanding of my invention and of its various ob ects and advantages, reference may be had to 'the followingdetailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawswitc Fig. 7 is a central section through the burner on aplane at right angles to the blower shaft;

Fig. 8, is a.- section taken on line 88'of .-Fig. 3;

I Fig. 9 is a section on line 9--9 of Fig. 1, on a larger scale than that of Fig. 1, no part of the furnace being shown;

' Fig. 10 .is a vertical section through the flame conduit and combustion chamber, showing a modified means for mechanically breaking u'plight oil; J v Fig. ;1I. i s a. verticalsection through the endjof the dischargeconduit of the burner,

showing a modified interceptor instead of the, screen disclosed in 1; 1' Fig...12 isfa front elevation of the inter cepton shown in.Fi g. 11;.an d

the door and a vertical part restin on the grate. The conduit 4 is preferab y made of a refractory alloy. The vertical element may be made of a shell 5 of refractory material resting on spaced blocks 6, also of refractory material. Within the member 5 may be a checker Work 7 of refractory blocks resting on the grate. The conduit 1 is open at' its front end, closed at its rearend, and provided with an opening on the under side registering with the opening in the shell 5. There isan upwardly projecting flange or low wall 8 across the bottom of the conduit just in advance of the bottom opening, this flange or wall preventin liquid that may have collected in the conduit from running down-into the shell and through the grate. A pipe 9 extends downwardly and forwardly from the bottom of the front end of the conduit and serves to drain the conduit when any liquid collects therein. The gaseous mixture entering the conduit 4 is ignited by a suitable pilot device, shown as a pilot gaslight 10 lying in the bottom ofthe conduit just within the entrance thereto. The combustible mixture is introduced into the flame conduit through a large conduit 11 forming the discharge outlet from a blower cas-.

ing 12. The member 11 is smaller in crosssectional area than the flame conduit and has an inwardly directed flange 13 around the delivery end. The effective delivery opening from the 'blower, therefore, lies above the pilot light burner, which is therefore out o the direct path of the incoming combustible mixture.

The blower casing is illustrated as takin the form of a shallow-cylindrical shell 0 considerable diameter, arranged with its axis horiaontal. The body of the casing and a portion 14 of the discharge COIIdIIIi therefrom may conveniently be made of two similar castings engaged with each other on a vertical lane at right angles to the longitudinal axis-of the casing, while the part 11 is preferably made as a separate casting of cop or or the like. fastened to the part 14 of t e casing. In the body of the casing is a rotor that may conveniently be made of a rim 15 forming a section of a disk, the same being supported by arms or spokes 16 centering in a hub 17 fixed to a shaft 18. The

' disk or rim may have a serrated peripheral edge in order better to pick up oil, as indicated at 15 in Fig. 13. On. the spokes are fastened'blades 19 considerably nearer the axis of the rotor than is the periphery of the rim. The rotor is somewhat smaller in diameter than the internal diameter of the a casing so as to leave space in the bottom of rise toward its outer end in order to permit the casing below. the rotor to serve as a well adapted to contain oil. When the rotor is driven at a high speed, there being sufficient oil in the casing to reach a level somewhat above the lowermost point of the rotor, oil

will be picked up and driven in a spray tanthe main stream of oil spray to pass through .it in the lengthwise direction. The casing has a central air inlet 20 at one side and, as the rotor revolves, air will be drawn in and be discharged with the oil. Some of the oil will be driven against the sides of the discharge conduit and will flow from there back into the well. In order to prevent such oil from being carried on by the air current, I provide bafies in the form of continuous ribs or flanges projecting inwardly slightly from the-walls of the discharge conduit. In the arrangement shown there are two of these baflies, 21 and 22, in the part 14 of the conduit, and three of them, 23, in the part 11. Those portions of the baffles rising from the bottom wall of the conduit are preferably somewhat deeper than the remaining portions because they are required to take care of all the oil that drops or flows down from the other Walls. Any oil striking the baflies or collected on the walls behind them is prevented from being carried forward by the air stream and can flow back into the well.

The bames 23 are preferably inclined outwardly from the top to the bottom to make it easier for the oil to run down along the same. The bottom members of the bafiles 22 and 23 are perforated, as indicated at 24, near the lower margins to permit the oil to flow along the bottom wall of the conduit to the well. The flange 13 forms the final barrier or baflie.

' It will therefore be seen that there will be no large masses of oil entering the flame conduit but all" such oil will be in the form of a spray. The treatment of the oil just described will not ordinarily be sufficient to insure complete combustion and additional treatment, depending on the character ofthe 011 being used, must be given. In some cases it will suffice to eause'the stream of air and oil to impinge on ascreen 25 of comparatively fine mesh placed at the outlet end, of

1 the discharge conduit, as shown in Fig.7.

Where light oils are being burned the screen may be replaced by a series of horizontal vanes 26, conveniently fixed in a frame 27 that may be set inthe member 11 between the bafiles 23 and the flange 13, such an arrangement being shown in Figs. 11 and 12. The part 11 is provided in the top with a door 28 through which the pilot li ht maybe ignited and the screen or other barrier may be inserted and removed through the door opening at will.

setin the flame conduit as indicated at 29 in Sometimes abarrier such as illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12 should be Fi -L 10. Those barriers should be made of a re rectory alloy or other material'so that they. may become hot enough in use to avoid the formation of carbon thereon. In burning very heavy oils, still different treatment is desirable. In addition to the screen for mechanically breaking up the oil, I employ means which will give a tubular shape to the flame in the flame conduit, so that the incoming stream of combustible material will be wholly surrounded by flame and, in passing through the flame conduit, will be made turbulent, thus insuring satisfactory atomization of the oil and a continual agitation the concave sides of t e plates being directed outwardly toward the incoming combustible material. The lower series of plates is indicated as A and. the upper series as B in Figs. 1 and 9. The plates may all be of the same length but each is preferably shallower or of less height than the one immediately behind it, thus producing a step formation.

The formation of carbon on surfaces may be prevented by keeping them either very hot or else cool. All surfaces beyond the discharge conduit, including the screen or other barrier in the latter, if there be one, will become and remain extremely hot in use. The discharge conduit itself must be kept cool, as it is outside of the furnace and as it would transmit heat to the parts of the apparatus still farther out; and, since the discharge conduit will receive heat during the operation of the burner it must be artificially cooled. This may conveniently be accomplished by surrounding the member 11 with a water jacket 30 through which a circulation of water from a-tank 31 through pipes 32 and 33 is maintained. This water neednot be pumped, as the tank will radiate heat sufliciently to bring about a natural circulation of water.

O' l is fed into the blower casing from a small, elevated reservoir 34 attached to the upper part of the casing by a pipe or nipple- .having therein a controlling valve 36 by supplyby a smallpump 38,'preferably of the diaphragm type, and is delivered to the reservoir by the pump through a pipe 39.

Thus, although the pump does not discharge describe. The motor shaft operates a standard reduction geardevice 41, the last element of which, indicated at 42 in Fig. 2, has. thereon a stud 43 placed at some dis tance from the axis of rotation of the element 42. If desired, more than one hole may be provided into which the stud may be placed, these holes being at difierent distances from-the axis. In the arrangement shown, the stud may be. shifted from the position it is occupying to a hole 44 nearer.

the axis. The stud lies in a slot or fork at one end of a rocker arm 45. The other end of the rocker arm, is also forked or slotted to receive a pin 46 carried on one end of a connecting rod 47 The opposite end of the connecting rod is pivoted to a lever or handle 48 pivoted at one end to the blower casing. The actuating rod or stem 49 for the pump is also attached at one end to the lever or handle 48. Therefore, as the motor rotates, it will oscillate the rocker arm 45,

' and reciprocate the connecting rod and the pump stem, causingthe pump to operate.

When it is desired to prime the burner,-the' stud 43 may be unscrewed, permitting the pump'to be manually operated through long strokes by means of the lever or handle 48.

The heaviestportion of the load on the pump comes on the suction stroke in pumping heavy oil. In order to equalize the load on the motor and lower the peak, I have placed around the pump stem a spring 50 that bears at its'ends respectively against the pump casing and a nut or shoulder 51 on the stem. During the discharge stroke of the pump this spring is compressed,

storing up ener to assist the pump during the suction stro e.

It will be seen that the stroke of the pump may be varied in two ways:' first, by shift ing the stud 43; and, second, by adjusting the pin 46 lengthwise oi the rocker arm.

The-volume at oil, and air in the combustible mixture must hear definite relations to each otherto secure efiiciency of operation of the burner and, asthe character of the oil or the rate of delivery or the oil under various adjustments of the pumping mechanism varies, the volume or air that is de-- The pump is driven by the livered should also be varied. This can conveniently be accomplished by providing the air inlet to the blower casin with an adjustable shutter or shutters. the arrangement shown, there are two such shutters, 52 and 53, the former being adapted to be set by hand and the latter being intended to be automatically adjusted as the stroke of the pump is automatically adjusted. in the manner to be described.

The automatic adjustment of the stroke of the pump is effected by shifting the pin 46 along the rocker arm. There is an L.- shaped lever having one arm 55 extending transversely of the blower casing underneath the same, while the other arm 56 extends upwardly beside the casing; the lever as' a whole lying a little to one side of the rocker arm 45. The arm 56 of the lever is pivoted, as at 57, to a part 58 fixed to the casing. A connecting rod 59 extends between the upper end of the arm 56 of the lever and the connecting rod 47, the joints at both ends of the member 59 being of the universal type. Therefore, when the controlling lever is rocked in one direction or the other it will also rock the connecting rod 47, moving the pin 46 from or toward the pivotal axis of the rocker arm 45, as the case may be. Movement is also imparted to the automatic shutter 53 by the controlling lever so that'this shutter is adjusted at the same time as the stroke of the pump. As best shown in Fig. 8, the shutter 53 is mounted on the upper end of a bar 60, the lower end of which is pivoted to the horizontal arm of the controllin lever. A spring 61, between the bar an the lever, draws the bar laterally toward the blower casing and thus holds the automatic damper yieldmgly against those portions of the casmg bounding the air inlet 20. The free end of the controlling lever is connected by a chain 62 to a suitable thermostat or pressurestat or other regulating device 'so that the supply of oil and air will be automatically regulated to suit changing conditions.

The motor should be automatically shut 05 when the combustible mixture is being delivered but is not burning and, if desired,

after the flame has been made so small that further reduction in size would. not result in economy.' In the arrangement shown,

the motor circuit-iscontrolled by an oscil-.-

latory mercury switch, best shown in Figs.

5 and 6, and this switch is controlled by the. controlling lever for the oil and air and also by oil flowing out of the flame conduit through the pipe 9. The switch, indicated menace and are fixed to opposite-sides of the switch while the remaining two arms extend from the switch in opposite directions in axial alignment with each other out through the sides of the housing. The parts are so proportioned that the switch rocks into an open position when free to do so. The shaftmembcr has an up-turned arm 67 at the outer end. A plate 68,having a boss 69 perforated to receive said arm 67, is mounted on said arm. The plate is provided in its lower edge with a notch 70 receiving the horizontal portion of the shaft 65, thus holding the plate at right anglesto the axis of the rock shaft. On one end of the plate is hung a counterweight 71 and on the other end a bucket 72. When the bucket is ehipty, the counterweight is heavy enough to overbalance it and the switch and hold the switch in its closed position. The connection'between the platerthe counterweight and the bucket is permanent, so that the bucket cannot be removed to em ty it without also removing the plate and t us causing the switch to 0 en and interrupt the motor circuit. The discharge end of the pipe 9 terminates over the bucket,- and therefore, if the flame conduit begins to flood with oil, such oil will flow out into the bucket and stop the motor.

The member 66 of the rock shaft has a horizontal arm 73- extendin at right angles thereto at its outer end. 5n the capacitycontrolling lever is a knob 74 that en ges with'the arm 73 when the controlling ever has been swun into a position in wh1ch the capacity is re need to the lowest practicable minimum and oscillates the switch against the resistance of the counterweight into the open position.- When it is not desired to employ this latter method of controlling the motor, as, for example, in cold weather during which the burner should be in operation continuously, the knob74 may be shifted on the lever from the full line position in Fig. 5 to the dotted line'position beyond the end of the arm 73.

Another feature of my invention has to do with the support of the blower from the floor and at any desired height within limits above the floor. To this end I employ a base plate 75 that maybe fastened to the floor in front of the furnace by screws or the like. Parallel legs, 7 6 and 77, rise from the front and rear ends of the base to the blower casing. These legs are. pivoted at 'tomoft capacity, and at otor switch The inclination described the details of construction of such embodiment with considerable particularity, it will, of course, be understood that the structural details and even the general forms may be widely varied without do parting from the principle of my invention. The general forms and the details of construction, illustrated and described, are intended rather as illustrative examples than as limits or boundaries of my invention;

and I intend to cover all forms and arrangements that come within the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims. 1 a

I claim: 3' 1. In combination, a blower provided with means to produce a s ray of liquid in addition to the air stream size of the air inlet to the blower and simultaneously var ing the rate of deliver of liquid to the b ower, and a motor switc located and arranged to be opened by said lever when the latter reaches a predetered position.

2. In a burner apparatus, a blower provided with a discharge conduit and means scharged thereby, a motor driving the blower, means in- .cluding a controlling lever for varying the for discharging a mixture of air and liquid through the same, said conduit having in the vicinity of the outlet end a plurality of internal ribs or flan es extending around the same along the we s thereof, the bottom of said conduit sloping downwardly from its outer end, and those portions of the ribs or flanges on the bottom walls being perforated to ermit liquid collecting on the bothe conduit to flow back along the conduit. I

3. In combination, a blower, means for introducingliquid into the air stream discharged by the blower,amotor driving the blower mean's including a controlling lever for varying the amount of air discharged by the blower and simultaneously varying the rate of delivery of liquid to reduce the located in such a position that 't is opened by said lever when the capacity has been. reduced to a predetermined minimum.

4. In combination, means including a blower operable at a constant s eed, for dischar 'ng a'stream of air an a spray of liquid: means for simultaneously varying the amount of air delivered by the blower and the rate at which liquid is delivered to vary the capacity, and means for stopping the blower and interrupting the delivery of liquid when the eapactiy has been reduced to a point at which only a small amount of 5 liquid is being delivered.

5. In combination, a rotary blower having a well for liquid, an element on the rotor of the blower adapted to dip into the liquid in the well and discharge a spray therefrom withthe airstream, means for feeding liquid into said well, and means for simultaneously varying the amount of air discharged by the blower and the rate of delivery of the liquid to the well.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

FRANK W. ALSIP. 

